Apple officially supports up to two. Photo: Ruslan Tulupov
A newly discovered M1 Mac trick lets you use up to six external displays simultaneously. It is simple to set up, and a YouTube video by an M1 Mac owner suggests performance is decent.
Apple's new M1 chip makes this ultraportable laptop ultra-fantastic. Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac
I just opened more than 650 tabs in Safari on a new M1 MacBook Air. I would have opened more, but I got bored.
Meanwhile, in the background, the machine is downloading Photoshop and the Microsoft 360 suite, and I can see in Activity Monitor that it’s processing thousands of iCloud photos while also indexing the hard drive.
Despite this, the machine is as fleet as a greyhound. I started working on a Photoshop project while checking email, keeping an eye on TweetDeck and, of course, clicking around all those open Safari tabs. The MacBook Air is just humming. I’ve never seen anything like it.
Mini-LED displays could be a temporary stepping stone. Photo: Apple
Apple will debut its first iPad Pro with an OLED display during the second half of 2021, according to a new report.
The screens are expected to be manufactured by Samsung, which is said to be renovating one of its production lines specifically for OLED iPad displays. LG will also be involved in production.
There are features you’ll give up with an M1 Mac like the new MacBook Pro. Photo: Apple/Cult of Mac
The first Macs running the M1 processor are crazy fast, making lots of MacBook and Mac mini users consider dumping their Intel-based Macs. Before you do, here’s everything you give up when buying a computer powered by Apple Silicon.
How to reinstall macOS when things go wrong. Image: Apple/Cult of Mac
Apple has confirmed that some M1 Mac owners may run into an error message when attempting to reinstall macOS on their new machine. If you’re one of them, there are some things you can do to avoid it.
These include using a bootable installer, rather than macOS Recovery, or initiating a reinstall from Terminal. We’ll show you how.
Oakywood makes cases Norm Abram would be proud to own. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
An iPhone doesn’t have to look coldly technological. Oakywood cases add cherry or walnut to your phone, giving it a more natural appearance. And the cases add shock resistance to Apple’s handset.
I enjoyed wrapping my iPhone 12 in an Oakywood bumper case. Here’s why.
This week on The CultCast: Apple’s new M1 Macs are breaking all the benchmarks, and are now officially the fastest Macs ever made. The MacBook Air is outperforming the iMac — these M1 Macs are insane.
Plus: iPhone 12 Pro Max versus mini — we’ve got them both! Which one is the keeper? We discuss. And stay tuned for our HomePod mini review, and our favorite new gadgets in an all-new Under Review!
Our thanks to Squarespace for supporting this episode. Easily create a beautiful website all by yourself, at Squarespace.com/cultcast. Use offer code CultCast at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain.
Apple is working with Microsoft to make new Xbox Series X controllers compatible with iPhone, iPad, Mac and more.
Support for Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and other controllers is already baked into the latest versions of iOS. It’s not yet clear if Apple will add support for the PlayStation 5’s new DualSense controller, too.
Get your Mac up and running again after Big Sur broke it. Photo: Apple
Apple this week published a support guide for those running into installation errors when updating to macOS Big Sur on a 2013 or 2014 MacBook Pro. Its tips may help bring bricked machines back to life.
If your iPhone 12 mini touchscreen has a Lock Screen bug, you need iOS 14.2.1. Photo: Apple
Apple today released a small “bug fix” update for iPhones. iOS 14.2.1 takes care of problem that caused the iPhone 12 mini’s touchscreen to not always respond on the Lock Screen. A couple of other small problems were taken care of too.
In an unusual move, there is no iPadOS equivalent for this update. It’s iPhone only.
Google bypassed the App Store to make a version of Stadia that’ll run on an iPhone and iPad. Photo: Google/Cult of Mac
Add Google Stadia to the list of cloud-gaming services that’ll soon be available for iOS and iPadOS. But all the action won’t be in the App Store — iPhone users will access Stadia though a web browser.
This is the same route other online-gaming services are also having to take because of Apple rules restricting cloud gaming.
Apple won't like this. Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac
GeForce Now, the online game streaming service from Nvidia, is now available in Safari on iOS. You can use it to play a whole host of controller-compatible PC games (more than 750) in 1080p.
Zagg Pro Stylus helps you take notes, sketch, swipe, mark documents and more on your iPad. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
The Zagg Pro Stylus has an active tip for writing and drawing, and also a capacitive tip for swiping. It’s two styli in one, making it useful every day. It’ll magnetically attach to an iPad Pro, but works with a whole range of Apple tablets.
I drew some conclusions after using this stylus for work and fun. Here are the results.
Everyone can watch a broadcast of A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving on PBS. No computer required. Photo: Apple
Apple has an answer for all who want to watch Peanuts specials on regular TV. A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving debuts Wednesday for Apple TV+ subscribers, but it’ll also be broadcast later this month on PBS stations across the US. The companion special, A Charlie Brown Christmas, will also appear on Apple’s streaming service as well as PBS stations in December.
Apple TV+ recently acquired the rights to all Peanuts holiday specials. The deal brought loud criticism when It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown didn’t appear on broadcast TV for the first time in decades, but only online. The team up with PBS is apparently Apple’s fix.
Lowering App Store fees will help small businesses without also hurting Apple. Photo: Cult of Mac/Steve Johnson/Pexels CC
Apple will cut App Store fees in half for small-business developers of iPhone applications. But while the change sounds dramatic, it will actually lead to a relatively tiny reduction in Apple’s revenue, according to a market-research firm.
The iPhone 12 mini is a hot little number. Photo: Lyle Kahney/Cult of Mac
Buying a compact smartphone used to mean making some big sacrifices. You either had to settle for an older model, or you had to opt for an Android handset (ugh!). That’s no longer the case, thanks to iPhone 12 mini.
iPhone 12 mini makes no compromises. It’s not a watered-down version of the larger iPhone 12; it is an iPhone 12 that’s squeezed into a smaller body. It has a gorgeous Super Retina XDR display, a blazing-fast A14 Bionic processor, great cameras, 5G and Face ID.
What’s missing? Absolutely nothing! If you want a small smartphone that has it all, iPhone 12 mini is the only option.
An early teardown of the new Mac mini offers our first glimpse at Apple’s new M1 chip and redesigned logic board. The desktop’s internals are much smaller than before, despite the increase in power.
The iPhone 12 Pro Max is the biggest and best yet. Photo: Lyle Kahney/Cult of Mac
The biggest and best version of iPhone 12 has finally landed. The iPhone 12 Pro Max takes everything that makes this year’s iPhone lineup so terrific and combines it with an even bigger screen and a better camera. Apple calls it “the photographer’s iPhone,” but really, it’s the best smartphone going for anyone who likes super-sized displays.
iPhone 12 Pro Max is Apple’s biggest smartphone to date, with a Super Retina XDR display that measures at 6.7 inches diagonally. It’s also the fastest handset on the market, thanks to an incredibly speedy A14 Bionic processor that’s coupled with 5G connectivity (where available).
However, the Pro Max is just one of four iPhone 12 options available this year —- and it’s the most expensive of the bunch. Is it worth it?
Still on the fence over Apple’s new M1 Mac mini, MacBook Air and MacBook Pro despite their stellar benchmarks? Find out what tech experts think of them in new reviews and hands-on videos.
Gaming is about to get a lot better on Mac. Photo: Apple
Apple’s new M1 chipset has been blowing away rival Intel chips in CPU performance benchmarks, and it doesn’t stop there. It turns out Apple Silicon can give many graphics cards a run for their money, too.
New tests reveal the M1 easily outperforms the Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 Ti and AMD Radeon RX 560 in graphics benchmarks. It could make gaming on a Mac better than ever.
Apple’s newest Mac mini, its first desktop with an Apple Silicon M1 chip, is substantially faster than all Intel-based Macs in single-core tests, according to new Geekbench benchmarks.
The only machines that come close to matching its performance are the newest MacBook Air and MacBook Pro — also powered by M1 chipsets. The 27-inch iMac lags far behind in the same tests.
With the Zagg Slim Book Go your iPad Pro becomes a 2-in-1 tablet/notebook. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
An iPad Pro is powerful mobile computer. Add a Zagg Slim Book Go and you get a genuine MacBook competitor.
We typed our way through a full review of this keyboard folio case for Apple’s latest pro tablet, so dive in to see if it’s the add-on your iPad has been looking for.
The Meross Smart WiFi Plug is unobtrusive but very functional. Just what your want. Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
The Meross Smart WiFi Plug lets you control two lights, fans or other appliances from your iPhone or iPad. And because it’s a simple plugin unit, it brings the convenience of Apple’s HomeKit home automation with minimal hassle.
After extensive testing, here’s how this accessory stood up to regular use.
Get your new iPhone set up the right way. Photo: Apple
For many people, iPhone 12 will be radically different from previous iPhone models. Despite this, the iPhone setup process hasn’t changed much. However, while you might find yourself on familiar ground, there are still plenty of little things you really ought to do before you fire up your new phone for the first time (or pretty soon thereafter).
Let’s take a look at all the things you can do to get your iPhone set up exactly how you want it.
Made from high-quality felt and leather. Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac
The delightful Mujjo Sleeve for MacBook is a great way to protect your precious notebook when you’re on the move. It’s beautifully made from quality materials, and it won’t weigh you down like a bulky bag.
The Sleeve ensures your notebook remains free from marks and scratches, no matter how much you carry it around. It also offers space for some accessories, important documents and more.
I’ve been using one to protect my 13-inch MacBook Pro for several months now. Here’s what I think of it.